Dems want to tax the wealthy, Reps want to cut services to everyone, both sides locked as they defend their respective constituents

“We need to find out whether our Republican colleagues want to continue to negotiate or whether they’ve drawn a hard line in the sand,” said supercommittee Democrat Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. “The question is whether they’ve kind of said `take it or leave it.’ “

Van Hollen made his comments after co-chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, told CNBC Tuesday evening that the bipartisan debt supercommittee is “somewhat stymied for the moment” because panel Democrats are insisting on tax increases of up to $1 trillion in exchange for cost curbs on rapidly spiraling benefit programs such as Medicare and Social Security.

For those that aren’t aware, every single Republican on the comittee signed a pledge to never raise taxes. They have to be lie in one way or another here, or face a public that now sees a pretty obvious solution.

Oh, and for everyone who thinks Republicans will *ever* let a tax cut expire without calling it a tax increase, you were wrong.